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6 Signs of Poor Gut Health

Digestive symptoms

If you suffer from bloating, gas, diarrhoea or abdominal pain on an on-going basis, it could be an indication that your gut bacterial balance is not right. This imbalance may have resulted from an unhealthy diet (high in sugar, refined or processed foods, excessive dairy, meat and gluten) and high stress levels over a long period. There could also be fermentation occurring resulting from insufficient stomach acid breaking down the food in your stomach.

Fatigue

Immune response due to inflammation in the gut can trigger changes in secretions or the way the bowel moves or senses pain, causing symptoms of fatigue. Fatigue, particularly chronic fatigue can also arise when the gut microbiome is compromised i.e the gut has more harmful bacteria than good bacteria. An insufficient intake of probiotic food (such as yoghurt), unhealthy food, hectic lifestyle and stress can contribute to this imbalance.

Sugar Cravings

Excessive sugar cravings is also a classic sign of poor gut health. Harmful bacteria thrives on sugar but it also secretes proteins that make you crave for more sugar. This vicious cycle results from an imbalance in the gut microbiome. As a result your body’s pH balance can be highly acidic causing inflammation and a gut environment where parasites eg. candida can thrive. Excessive sugar consumption can lead to obesity which is a risk factor of type 2 diabetes where the body struggles to manage blood sugar levels.

Skin Problems

Inflammation in the gut caused by a poor diet or food allergies may cause a leaky gut. This is when food particles and certain proteins “leak” into the body via the blood, causing an autoimmune reaction. This can irritate the skin and cause conditions such as eczema or an unexplained rash. Gut problems can adversely affect the way your body absorbs nutrients leading to poor absorption of the vitamins, minerals and antioxidants needed to keep skin looking healthy and potentially worsening existing skin conditions.

Sleep Disturbances

An unhealthy gut may contribute to sleep disturbances such as insomnia. Most of the body’s serotonin, a hormone that affects mood and sleep, is produced in the gut. So gut damage can impair your ability to sleep well as well as cause chronic fatigue. Normally sleep resets your body’s hormonal balance and your body’s autonomic nervous goes into the parasympathetic mode, meaning its time for your body to rest and digest. If sleep patterns are broken, then the body’s digestive systems are also affected compounded with an imbalanced gut microbiome and gut problems can arise – so its a vicious cycle where poor sleep can cause gut issues and vice-versa.

Weight Gain

An imbalanced gut can impair your body’s ability to absorb nutrients, regulate blood sugar, and store fat. Weight gain may be caused by insulin resistance or the urge to overeat due to decreased nutrient absorption. Weight gain can also be linked to an imbalance in the gut microbiome. Certain types of gut bacteria are essential for maintaining a healthy gut barrier and preventing inflammation, which can contribute to weight gain. So if the environment in the gut is too acidic, due to poor food choices, enough good bacteria cannot thrive which could contribute to weight gain.

How can Colon Hydrotherapy help Poor Gut Health?

Colonic hydrotherapy targets bowel function as well as bowel flora thus enabling the delicate and reciprocal interactions that exist between the mind, the gut and the microbes that populate it, to be harmonised.

Through the use of deep abdominal massage, varying water pressure /temperature against the bowel walls and specific implant, colonic hydrotherapy directly affects peristalsis (the natural movements of the gut that help propel bowel content) and bowel function.

The combination of massage and water deeply cleanses and washes out the Colon. This releases gas pockets and built up stools relieving abdominal bloating and pressure on the lower back, bladder, ovaries/prostate and diaphragm.

The effect on gut bacteria is influenced by a number of factors. Recent research on the microbiome (gut microbes) has highlighted fascinating facts about the relationship between gut microbes, our immune system and our brain. There are some complicated interactions between the different types of organisms and our immune system. Bacteria and, in some cases, the toxins they produce can be picked up from the gut by our lymphatic system and transported to the brain (or anywhere else in the body) contributing to various inflammatory responses in remote sites. This type of chronic low grade inflammation has been shown to explain the process behind degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer, Parkinson’s and cardio-vascular diseases, arthritis, diabetes, etc. Colonic hydrotherapy has a definite effect on gut microbes and relieves the strain on the immune system caused by excess toxins from less than ideal gut microbes. However, colonic does not “strip” the gut. It is a gentle procedure which, unlike laxatives, does not irritate the delicate gut lining and does not alter gut microbiome. Research has shown that the microbiome will soon reconstitute itself.

Generally the specific strains and species that live in our gut are established in the first two years of life. They are sensitive to drugs, antibiotics in particular. The equilibrium between all the different types is altered by many factors from exercise and hormones to stress and diet. Together with dietary and lifestyle adjustment colonic is a powerful treatment to improve gut microbe’s balance. It can also be effectively used to flush out parasites and organisms that are not part of the established microbiota but are trying to set up residence and creating symptoms. The symptoms of parasite’s infestation are varied but generally include gut inflammation causing pain, sometimes diarrhoea and often sever bloating.